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Harsdorf was born in Stillwater, Minnesota in 1956 and her family moved to River Falls, Wisconsin in 1970. Harsdorf graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1978 with a B.S. in Animal Science, and returned to River Falls to become a loan officer for the Production Credit Association while farming part-time on the Harsdorf family dairy farm. Two years later, she and her older brother, Jim, became partners in the family business.

While farming full-time, Harsdorf was a member of the Pierce CountyFarm Bureau Board of Directors from 1982 to 1988, serving as treasurer for three years. She also served as chair of the Pierce County Dairy Promotion Committee in 1986. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Pierce-PepinHolstein Breeders Association, was a graduate of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program, and was involved in Pierce County 4-H as a member of the Dairy Committee and a coach of the Dairy Judging Team.

In 1988, Harsdorf ran for and won the seat of the 30th Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Assembly. She won a total of five consecutive elections, finishing her last term in 1999.

During Harsdorf’s time in the State Assembly, she served on the Assembly committees on Natural Resources, on Veterans and Military Affairs, and on Agriculture, and was the ranking Republican on the Colleges and Universities Committee. She also served on the Legislative Advisory Committee on the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission and on the Legislative Council Special Committee on Land Use. In 1995, she was appointed to the prestigious Joint Finance Committee, a 16-member committee responsible for drafting the state’s biennial budget.[1][2]

In 2000, Harsdorf entered the 10th State Senate District race against Democratic Senator Alice Clausing, a two-term incumbent. The 10th Senate District comprises all of St. Croix County and portions of Burnett, Dunn, Pierce and Polk counties in the northwestern part of the state.[3] She defeated Clausing and independent candidate Jim Nelson in the general election. She was re-elected in 2004, defeating challenger Gary Bakke, and 2008, defeating challenger Alison Page.[4]

Harsdorf is currently chair of the Senate Committee on State and Federal Relations and Information Technology and vice chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education. She also serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology, and as a member of the Joint Committee on Finance. She has previously served as chair of the Higher Education and Tourism Committee, as the ranking Republican on the Agriculture and Higher Education Committee, and as a member of the Commerce, Utilities, Energy and Rail Committee and the Joint Legislative Council. She is also a member of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.[1][5]

In her hometown of River Falls, Harsdorf is a member of Luther Memorial Church. Harsdorf is a past member of the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust Board and the Wisconsin Conservation Corps Board. She is also a former president of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation Sponsor’s Board.[1][2]

On April 19, 2011, Harsdorf recall organizers filed an estimated 23,000 signatures with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.[6] 15,744 valid signatures are required to force a recall election.[6]

On May 3, 2011, teacher and educators' union official Shelly Moore announced she would run against Harsdorf in a possible recall election.[7]

In late May 2011, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified petitions against Harsdorf, overruling her challenges. The date for the recall election was set for August 9, 2011.[8]

Harsdorf easily defeated the Democratic challenger, Shelly Moore, fifty-eight percent to forty-two percent in the recall election - greater than her margin of victory in the previous election.[9]